Quick Synopsis – Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.

Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.

Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.

Song This Reminds Me Of –

Release Date – April 7, 2026

BookShop Link – The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (Disclosure – I get a small percentage if you order the book using my link)

Content Notes – This is some violence and blood in this book. There is book burning and banning of books as well. There is off-page spousal abuse briefly mentioned. There is also off page death of parents and death of siblings. There is also the death of a child.

Spice Rating – 🌶️

Overall Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – I think this is my first 5 star read this year and it’s by a fellow Kentuckian! It reminded me of a grown-up version of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke mixed with the movie The Pagemaster. At first, I thought this book might be a little too corny for me. The name of the main character is Rainy March and it took me a minute to get past that. But much like how Rainy gets transported into stories, it’s easy to fall in love with this one.

At first it seems like there are too many plot points to be resolved. Rainy is in a doomed romance with Duke, a fictional detective who isn’t supposed to leave his novels. Her grandfather goes missing and she never really learned what happened to her mother. Meg Shaffer perfectly weaves Rainy’s story in and out of beloved books like Alice in Wonderland and The Great Gatsby. She has her trusty cat and Duke by her side as they learn more about where her grandfather went and about her past. I wish I could say more, but there are so many delightful twists and turns. I don’t want to spoil anything!

This book made me kick my feet with little giggles and cry a little too. Beyond the mystery of the story, there’s also a general love of books. Rainy’s whole job is to preserve stories and protect them from burners. Burners are people who, like people who want to ban books, believe they know what literature is and what’s appropriate for consummation. There has been so much discourse about the “right” kind of reader and the “right” kind of book. The Book Witch is a satisfying commentary on book banning, all readers have a place and so do all books.

I genuinely loved this book and can’t wait to own a hard copy of my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballatine Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.